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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Key Largo
Give Key Largo 2 nights if you dive or snorkel, 1 night if you are driving to Key West and just want a reef stop.
Key Largo is the first island of the Florida Keys, about 1 h 15 min by car from Miami airport on US 1. It is a diving and snorkelling base rather than a beach town: the reef is offshore, the highway is the main street, and you need a car or a shuttle to move between mile markers. Two nights covers a reef trip, the state parks and one long dinner; one night works as a stop on the drive south.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry, 24–28 °C)Nov–Apr (dry, 75–82 °F)
- Avoid
- Jun–Nov (hurricane season), Aug–Sep (hottest, wettest)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $110–170 excl. bed · Mid $180–300 excl. bed · High $320+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Key Largo Chamber of Commerce +1 305-451-1414 · Poison control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or Cuban coffee | $3–6 |
| Key lime pie, slice | $7–12 |
| Fish sandwich or seafood basket | $16–28 |
| Draft beer at a bar | $6–9 |
| Snorkel trip, per person | $40–70 |
| Two-tank dive with tank and weights | $100–160 |
| State park entry per vehicle | $8 |
| eSIM or data plan, about a week | $15–35 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MIA · Miami International
- About 1 h 15 min by car to Key Largo via the Turnpike and US 1; tolls are electronic only.
- FLL · Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International
- About 1 h 45 min by car; a common cheaper alternative to MIA.
- EYW · Key West International
- About 2 h 30 min by car north along US 1; useful if you fly into Key West and drive up.
Typical fares
- MIA → Key Largo by car
- about 1 h 15 min, tolls electronic only (check)
- Greyhound/FlixBus Miami → Key Largo
- stop at 99501 Overseas Hwy (Walgreens), a few services a day (check)
- Metrobus 301 to Florida City / Key Largo
- MM 98 stop at the Tom Thumb store (check)
Get around
A car is the practical choice: US 1 runs the length of the island and most businesses sit on it, with mile markers as the address system. There is a shared-use path beside the highway but it is a road-side ride, not a scenic one. Buses from Miami (Metrobus 301 and Greyhound/FlixBus) stop on US 1 but run a few times a day, so they suit arrivals, not daily sightseeing. Taxis and rideshare exist but are thin outside the centre.
See and do
Known for
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
- Diving and snorkelling on the Florida Keys reef
- The African Queen canal cruises
- Key lime pie and Cuban coffee
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Islamorada | Drive south on US 1 to MM 88–82 | 30–45 min each way |
| Everglades National Park (Flamingo or Shark Valley) | US 1 north to Florida City, then SR 9336 or the Tamiami Trail | 1.5–2 h each way |
| Miami | US 1 north to the Turnpike | 1.25–1.75 h each way |
| Key West | US 1 south through Marathon and Big Pine Key | 2.5–3 h each way |
Sleep
- Mile Marker 100–104 (central Key Largo)
- Walkable cluster of restaurants, dive shops and hotels around the Pennekamp park entrance; best for a first visit without a car every night.
- Tavernier and MM 90–94
- Quieter bay-side stays north of the centre; 10–15 min drive to the dive boats.
- MM 95–99 (south Key Largo)
- Resorts and marinas with their own docks; good for dive packages, less walkable.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the boat dock? | Where is the boat dock? |
| I have a reservation | I have a reservation |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Hurricane season runs Jun–Nov; check forecasts and know your evacuation route north on US 1.
- Sun and water: reef snorkel trips run 2–4 h with little shade, so cover up and reapply sunscreen.
- The highway is the main street — cross only at lights and expect fast traffic.
- Some dive and snorkel trips sell out in winter and on holiday weekends; book a day or two ahead.
- Tolls on the Turnpike and the Homestead extension are electronic only; rental cars carry a transponder and the operator charges a daily fee.
Key Largo is a low-crime resort island; the real risks are sun and water, fast traffic on US 1, and storms between June and November. Standard US precautions apply.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Key Largo yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
- Diving and snorkelling on the Florida Keys reef
- The African Queen canal cruises
- Key lime pie and Cuban coffee
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Florida State Parks): www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/john-pennekamp-coral-reef-state-park
- Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park (Florida State Parks): www.floridastateparks.org/park/Key-Largo-Hammock
- Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (Florida State Parks): www.floridastateparks.org/trail/Florida-Keys
- Miami-Dade Transit, Route 301: www.miamidade.gov/transportation-publicworks/routes_detail.asp?route=301
- Greyhound — Key Largo bus stop: www.greyhound.com/bus/key-largo-fl/key-largo-bus-stop
- Wikivoyage: Key Largo, revision 5237507 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237507
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Key Largo
Take me to this address, please
Take me to this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Key Largo Chamber of Commerce+1 305-451-1414
- Poison control1-800-222-1222
No embassies in Key Largo; consulates-general are in Miami (about 1.5 h north).
Mile markers are the local address system: businesses list them instead of street numbers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/key-largo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.